Automatic film developing machine



July 4, 1933. M. DE FRANCISCO El AL 1,916,207

AUTOMATIC FILM DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed July 21. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l v AUTOMATIC FILM DEVELOPING CHINE Filed July 21, 1932 3 She ets-Sheet 2 July 4, 1933. M. DE FRANCISCO ET AL 07 I AUTOMATIC FILM DEVELOPING MACHINE Filed July 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'ATTORNEY- Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED .sTA as OFFICE MARSHALL DE rnmorsco am) ALERED 'r. xunowsxr, or BROOKLYN, NEW Yonx an'romarrc mm nnvnnorrive MACHINE Application filed July 21 commerclal camera film developing practice.

The present invention comprises more especially an apparatus having a containerfor developer with heat insulation Walls whereby temperature changes slowly in the developing solution. A support for the film is so arranged with reference to operatlng mechanism that there is a to and fro motion between the film and the solution. This movement may be accomplished in various ways, but preferably is'brought about by rotating the film holder in one direction and then rotating it in the opposite direction whereby the directions of movement alter? nate. Also, preferably, the film holder has an axial movement so that while the holder is oscillating, it is also moving in an axial direction. Either or both the axial or oscillating movement is sufficient for the pur- 5 pose desired. However, the combined movement is especially satisfactory. It has been found that where a film is immersed in a developing solution and is permitted to remain stationary relative to the solution, that the developing takes place unevenly and also at varying rates over difierent exposures. It has also been discovered that where a con-= stant relative movement between the film and developer occur, that there is in effect a dragging of the grain crystals in the emulsion of the film or in other words, a dragging of the grain.- This efiect appears to be due to the fact that the solutions which are active adjacent one part of the picture are relatively exhausted chemically and are then dragged over thefilm so that this same por- 'tionand at the same time to neutralize any 1932. Serial no. 623,725.

"tionis'olutionstrikes the next area of the lfil'm. requiring lchemical activity. The resulti'sa'n apparent dragging of the grain in the film. In applicants d evice, the efiect of dragging is neutralized by the fact that the film moves firstin one direction and then 1n theother and also axially or edgewise of the film, whereby there is a tendency to cause a gentle agitation of the developing solu- 6e grain dragging eflect. y

Another feature of applicants construction is that the device is divided into substantially three units, namely, a thermo-insulated wall tank for holding the so ution, a film rack {or support on=which the strip of film is mounted for developing, and a cover for the container, which cover carries the timmg and foperating mechanism for the apparatus. 1

- Itis recognized'that the present invention may beembodied in constructions other than those specifically disclosed herewith. Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as illustrative andnot in the limiting sense.

Fig. 1 is a view of the separated mechanical elements illustrating the driving and t ming mechanism with certain parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the sides of the tank broken away and also the sides of the cover broken away to show the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the operating mechanism.

Fig. at is a plan view of the film reel.

Referring now more especially to Fig. 1, a tank 1 is provided with heat insulated Walls 2 in order that any solution within the tank may be retained at a substantially constant temperature over a relatively long period of time so that more than one film may be developed in a solution without the solution unduly changing temperature. The bottom of the tank is provided with a bearing pin 4 on which a reel shaft 5 is adapted to set. The lower end of the reel shaft 5 is provided with a circular opening 6 of greater length than the bearing pin 4 to permit endwise movement of the shaft 5 thereon, and

form a reel. A film support comprising a,

shouldered bar 16 is spirally mounted onthe stay rods 14 with the edges of the shoulders 17 spaced apart a distance equivalent to the width of the film to be supported by the reel. These shoulders 17 contact with the edges of the film 18 whereby the'picture area of the film is freely supported on the reel and out of contact with any part of the device. A hook strip 19 preferably is mounted adjacent one end of the spiral film track and the hook strip isprovided with a plurality of openings 20.

A clip 21 is adapted to be clipped on the front end of the film with the hook 22 of the clip in engagement with one of the stay rods 14 of the reel. The film is then wound on the film track between spirals of the bar 16. A terminal clip 24 is attached to the end of the film and the hook 25 of this clip is adapted to engage aconventionally located opening 20 in the hook strip 19. In this way, the film isproperly mounted on the reel ready to be developed.

The upper end of the reel shaft 5 is provided with a recess 26 to receive the lower end of a driving shaft 27. This recess 26 is relatively deep in order to permit a reciprocating movement of the shaft 5 relative to the driving shaft 27 Suitable clutch connections may be made between the driving shaft 27 and the reel shaft 5. One form of connection may comprise a pin 28 cara slot 29 in ried by the driving shaft 27 and in Figs.

the reel shaft 5 as is illustrated and 2.

The driving and timing mechanism for the developing operation is preferably mounted within a cover 30 for the tank 1 so that the operating mechanism .is removed from the tank as a unit when the cover is lifted therefrom to free the reel for removal 01'' observation.

Preferably, the cover is provided with a heat insulated wall 31 which may be provided with a collar 32 through which the driving shaft 27 extends so as to be capable of coupling to the reel shaft 5. A'motor 34 which may be of any suitabletype, preferably electric, is connected by a worm 35 to a large worm gear 36 which is integral with the small gear 37. The gears 36 and 37 are mounted to revolve freely on the driving shaft 27 without directly imparting any motion to this shaft. The small gear 37 engages a large gear 38 whereby the entire elbow arm gear segment through elongated opening42 in the elbow arm 44 of a gear segment 45. The upper end of the crank shank shaft 39 is mounted in a bearing carriedby the bracket 43. The gear segment 45 engages a driving gear 46 pinned to the driving shaft 27.

As the motor 34 revolves the worm 35, the reduction gear train slowly revolves the crank shaft 39, whereby the crank pin 41 causes the 44-45 to oscillate on its pivot 47 as is indicated by the double arrow adjacent the gear segment. This oscillatory movement to the gear segment 45 rotates the driving gear 46 in one direction and then in the opposite direction, thereby imparting a rotary oscillatory movement to the drive shaft 27 which movement is communicated to the reel shaft 5 and to the film 18 mounted on the reel. As the reel shaft oscillates, the cam 7 being supported upon the antifriction roll 8 causes the reel shaft 5 to raise and lower on the bearing pin 4 and on the end of the driving shaft 27. It, therefore, will be observed that the film 18 has a movement in two directions relatively to the solution in the tank 1, and that both of these movements are reversin movements, that is, the movements occur fi rst in one direction and then in the other direction, so that any given dragging effect on the film by a movement in one direction is immediately cancelled by a movement in the other direction.

As the gear segment 45 oscillates, near the end of its inward stroke, the end 48 of the gear segment 45 contacts with a roller 49 on a bell-crank pawl 50 mounted on an arm 51 freely rotatable around a shaft 52. A spring 54 extends between the bell crank pawl 50 and a holding pawl 55 so that stress on the spring causes both pawl 50 and pawl 55 to enshaft 52. Since the pivot 57 for the holding pawl 55 is stationary, the spring 54 also has the further effect of normally drawing the the gear segment 45 strikes the roller 49, the

continued movement of the gear segment 45 swings the arm 51 around the shaft 52 and causes the pawl 50 to turn the ratchet 56 and the shaft 52 a distance equivalent to the gage with a ratchet wheel 56 pinned to the amount of movement imparted to the roller 49 by the end 48 of the gear segment 45. The holding pawl 55 prevents any return movement of the ratchet 56 and the spring 54 draws the arm 51 backwardly during a part of the retreating movement of the gear segment 45 while the pawl 50 rides idly over the teeth of the ratchet 56 until the contraction of the spring 54 has been exhausted. A

- is desired to develo the timer pawl 64 may be manually released from engagement-of the pawl arm 62 by compressin the U-spring 66 (Fig. 3). A minute sca e 67 is provided on the outer cover 68 adjacent the timer ratchet wheel 61 so that the front edge of the pawl arm 62 may read against this scale. The pawl arm 62 carries a depending p n 69 which extends through a slot or opening in the outer cover 68 into the ath of the finger 70 on the bell hammer arm 7 1, which extends within the bell 7 2. A spring 74 normally holds the bell hammer arm in contact with a stop '7 which is so positioned that when the pin 69 slips off the fin ger 70, the spring 74 will swing the bell'hammer arm on its pivot and bring the same'into contact with the stop 75 but the bell hammer arm is sufliciently resilient to permit the hammer 76 to move under its inertia and strike the bell.

The timer action is based u on a predetermined number of revolutions m a g1ven time of the motor shaft. This is easily determined where an electric motor is used; it is also easily determined where a spring motor is used. As the gear segment oscillates and thus reciprocates the film reel within the tank, each complete cycle of movement of the gear segment 45 advances the timer a shaft a small increment of movement. If it for a given period of time, say fifteen minutes, the release knob is operated to release the timer awl 64 from the ratchet wheel 61 and the orward edge of the pawl 62 is set opposite the fifteen mark on the-time scale 67. The motor is then I started and as the mechanism operates, the

' erator that the apparatus has been stopped an any substantial period of time, there arm 62 is slowl moved over the scale 67 toward the zero 0 the scale. At the end of the fifteen minutes, the in 69 slips from beneath the finger 70, whic this pin has adually displaced by coming in contact w1th it, so that the springgi operates the bell hammer 76 to ring the 11 72. This advises the opn g for fifteen minutes during which time the film has been developing.

The timer mechanism may be constructed to open a switch, thereby stopping the motor great liability of the. film being injured and f undesirable results-obtained since the film and solution remain stationary while the developer is chemically active on the film. 3

' Attention is directed particularly to F1 2.and 4, inwhich it will be observed that t e outer rim of the end plates 11 and 12 formed by the openings between the spokes 15, is

such that the spirals of the film track shoalder bar 16 lie entirely within a vertical projection' of these openings so that whilethe outer rims of the end plates 11 and 12 act to agitate the, outer column of the developer solution, there is no tendency of these outer rim portions of the end plates to interfere with the free circulation and contact of the I developer with the film on the reel. In other words, the eddy currents produced by the rims lie substantially outside of the zone of operation through which the film extends.

The 0 ration of loading the reel-with the film and introducing the reel into the solution is a dark room operation. As soon as the cover is placed on the container, light may be admitted to the apparatus because the cover is light tight and the development ma be continued in thelight Where desire suitable conduits or connections may be made with the tank for washing out the develop ing solution and for washing the film and for introducing hypo or other chemicals which may be used in the several steps in treating the film. In this way, the entire develo ing and finishing other than the loading 0 the 1 tank becomes a daylight operation.

We claim: a

1. An automatic film developer comprising a heat insulated tank, a film reel having a substantially vertical shaft, a spiral film track on said reel, said track being adapted to engage the edges only of a film mounted thereon, means to oscillate said reel in said tank, and means to reciprocate said reel during the oscillation thereof.

2. An automatic film developer com rising a heat insulated tank, a film reel havmg a substantially vertical shaft mounted in said tank, a spiral 'film track on said reel, said track'being adapted to engage the edges only of a film mounted thereon, crank and gear means to oscillate said reel in said tank, and cam means to reci rocate said reel in a vertical direction durm the oscillation thereof.

3. An automatic lm developer comprising a heat insulated tank adapted to contain developing solution,'a film reel removably mounted in said tank, a cover for saiditank,

power means carried by said cover, a main shaft operatively connected with said power means, and a coupling between said main shaft'and said ree saidcover and removal of said reel from said thereelistank 4. An automatic film developer comprising a heat insulated tank adapted to contain deto facilitate-removal of veloping solution, a film reel having a reel shaft, a bearing in said tank for the lower end of said shaft whereby said reel is removably mounted in said tank, a cover for said tank, power means carried by said cover, a main shaft operatively connected with said power means to receive oscillating motion therefrom, and a coupling between said main shaft and said reel shaft to impart oscillation thereto and to facilitate removal of said cover and removal of said reel from said tank.

5. An automatic film developer comprising a tank to contain developer, a film support within said tank and adapted to support a film immersed in a developer solution within said tank, and power means to oscillate and reciprocate said film supportwithin said tank.

'5. An automatic film developer comprising a tank to contain developer, a film support within said tank and adapted to support a film immersed in a developer solution within said tank, power means to oscillate and re ciprocate said film support within said tank, and time signal means operated by said power means.

An automatic film developer comprising a tank adapted to contain developing solution, a vertical film support mounted within said tank and adapted to hold a film to be developed by the solution in said tank, means to reciprocate said film support on a vertical axis during the developing operation, and means to agitate the solution in said tank when said film support is reciprocated.

8. In a film developing apparatus, the combination of a tank, a film support within said tank,-means to move the film relative to the solution within said tank, and'signal means rendered operative after a predetermined number of said movements have occurred.

9. In a film developin apparatus, the combination of a tank, a film reel within said tank, power means to move the fi reel in two directions relative to the solution within said tank, and signal means rendered operatire after a predetermined number of said movements have occurred.

10. A film developin apparatus comprising a tank to contain eveloper;i a film supporting reel within said tank, a lm supporting spiral on said reel, end plates for said reel, said end plates being provided with openings forming spokes and a rim on each plate connecting said spokes, said openings having a longer radius t ian the film supporting spiral, and means to reciprocate said reel in said tank during developing operations.

11. A film developin apparatus comprising a tank to contain eveloper, a film supporting reel within said tank, a film supporting spiral on said reel, said spiral contacting with the edges only oila film mounted thereon,

end plates for said reel, said end plates being provided with openings forming spokes and a rim on each plate connecting said spokes, said openings having a longer radius than the film supporting spiral to permit a free flow of developing solution relative to said s iral, and means to reciprocate said reel in sai tank during developing operations and tocause said rims to a 'tatethe solution in said tank.

12. A film eveloping apparatus comprising a tank to contain clevelopenereel supreel within said tank, and means for counting the oscillating movements, signal means, an

setable means to operate said signal means when a predetermined number of oscillations have occurred.

' MARSHALL on FRANCISCO,

ALFRED 'r, Knnovvsm. 

